Acoustic Sunset - Live At The Longhouse by Hypnogaja

The group's new Union State/Longhouse Records release, ACOUSTIC SUNSET - LIVE AT THE LONGHOUSE, was produced by legendary singer/songwriter Wendy Waldman (“Fishin’ In The Dark,” “Save The Best For Last”) and recorded and mixed by veteran engineer Michael Boshears (Black Flag, Oingo Boingo).

ACOUSTIC SUNSET contains 12 stripped-down performances (all recorded live at The Longhouse in Encino, CA) plus a brand new studio track, "I'm Not One Of You." The record's intimate setting and adventurous arrangements, where the volume is pulled back without sacrificing any of the intensity, allows Hypnogaja's carefully crafted songs to shine.

BELOW SUNSET, the band’s current studio album, has been praised by OUTBURN MAGAZINE as "enthralling, first-rate modern rock" and by the DENVER POST as "metal that pushes boundaries.” Ranging in style from bracing hard rock to quiet piano ballads with a thread of electronics sprinkled throughout, the recording successfully solidifies the band's creative identity.

Hypnogaja’s story has been steadily building as the band’s become a full-fledged national touring act whose visibility has been bolstered through prominent film & TV placements (NBC’s Las Vegas, UPN’S America’s Next Top Model, Touchstone’s Cold Creek Manor), noted press interest (Apple computers recently ran a feature story on Hypnogaja on the front page of their site) and exposure through MTV Networks (the band's "They Don't Care" video is featured on MTV Overdrive, MTV.com and MTVU).

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Liner Notes from Album Producer Wendy Waldman:

The thing I love about Hypnogaja is that there are so many threads running through their music. It’s like picking up a stone, turning it over in your hands, and seeing different sides depending on the light. There’s everything in there from metal to classical music, rap to poetry, electonica to folk, old style rock to the most modern and extreme sounds.

But underlying all this are great and interesting songs, songs with the urgency, light and shadow of the most intense contemporary rock, but each one written with a sophisticated harmonic palatte that could only come from truly intelligent musical thinking. In other words, the stuff rocks, and sounds cool, and is always fresh both musically and lyrically. This music caters to no trend -- it belongs to itself, which will make it enduring.

There’s another aspect to this group as well, something that’s not seen often enough these days: this band plays GREAT -- and their music is sometimes complicated, always intense, and challenging. They back it up with some pretty serious chops. They play with passion and depth reminiscent of some of the classic bands we all love so well. These tracks were all recorded live, as were the vocals -- and that makes this album a remarkable document of a band that really kicks butt when it takes the stage... or the living room, in the case of the Longhouse. Hypnogaja rocks hard and well, they lay it down solid, with unusual, insightful and beautiful songs.

I’ve watched this band on its path for years now -- I’ve seen them grow enormously. I always thought they were superb, and it was absolutely my great privilege to work with them on this album.

Wendy Waldman

Los Angeles

March 2006

Average Customer Review: 5